Happy Endings
by mandaree1
Summary: "And that's just it, Ricky. I'm not built for happy endings."; The original Mystery Incorporated, much like the newer one, remember everything that happened before the universe reset itself. They're just better at pretending.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Scooby Doo Mystery Incorporated, or any other form of Scooby Doo; video game, movie, etc.**

**Title: Happy Endings**

**Summary: "And that's just it, Ricky. I'm not built for happy endings."; The original Mystery Incorporated, much like the newer one, remember everything that happened before the universe reset itself. They're just better at pretending.**

**Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, light mentions of death, but nothing descriptive, and a bit of angst mixed in. Cassidy centric.**

**Setting: Post-series, after the world has reset itself to Crystal Cove 'The Sunniest Town On Earth.'**

**...**

Cassidy _would_ say she was going crazy, but that wouldn't work into this wonderfully happy nightmare, so she bit her tongue and sprawled out across the bed like any other person with a bedroom and a bed, because she _wasn't_ going crazy.

It was a _huge_ bed, big enough to fit _three_ people with soft sheets and comfortable but supportive pillows. Before, all Cassidy could remember sleeping on was the couch, or the odd cheap hotel bed. Certainly nothing like this.

It could be worse, she told herself. She could've ended up like Ricky.

Not that Ricky looked bad, or anything. Far from it. He was almost_ attractive_, even. (But he wasn't, because Cassidy had sworn off _ever_ using the word 'attractive' about _anything_ having to do with Ricky, so he wasn't.) Going from large and baggy-eyed to being skinny and taller and he wore glasses (well, he'd always needed them, but still) and the list went on and on.

A new life and a new body? Cassidy couldn't handle it. Thank goodness for small miracles.

(Alright, so everything as a whole in this world was a_ big_ miracle, but you know what she meant.)

"Something troubling you, Cassidy?"

"Not really." She eyed his slouched shoulders as he examined himself in the mirror. "You?"

He shook his head, fiddling with the collar of his sweater. "No, just tired. Long day."

"I hear you." She muttered distractedly.

"No, Cassidy, I don't think you do." He looked at her with a frown. "Cassidy, what's wrong?"

She rolled onto her side. "It's nothing, Ricky. Old news."

He watched her a long moment, then turned back to the mirror. "Speaking of news, I heard through the grapevine that Mystery Incorporated has left Crystal Cove."

She sat up in surprise. "You're sure?"

"Mostly. I can't exactly go digging around like I used to, but my source is reliable."

Cassidy sighed, feeling a weight fall off her chest. "Good. They got out while they still had the chance."

A long pause of silence followed. "Cassidy, you know this place isn't what it was, right? They'll have a harder time wherever they're going."

"The memories are more than enough. Wherever they're going is far better than what they're leaving behind."

"If they even remember." Ricky commented, leaving the mirror in favor of standing beside the bed.

"I sure hope not."

"Well, if you and I remember, then there's a pretty good chance that _they_ remember."

Cassidy bit her lip. Part of her understood the need to run. Knew it well, even. But another part of her, the part that sacrificed herself in that explosion, knew that no matter how hard you ran or how hard you tried, things had a way of sticking around.

"I hate pretending, Ricky."

"So do I. But who cares? We're safe, we're happy, and, best of all, we're_ free_."

"And that's just it, Ricky. I'm not built for happy endings."

Ricky raised an eyebrow. "Would you rather go back to how things were?"

Her response was immediate. "No."

"I thought so." He laid down next to her on her left, hands grasping each other on top of his chest. "This is for the best, Cassidy. You know that."

She didn't answer, staring at the ceiling. She could feel his eyes on her.

"If they knew, then everything we've worked for, everything _they're_ working to let go of, will come crashing down. It's best that they think they're the _only_ Mystery Incorporated."

"They always were."

"You know what I mean. As far as they'll ever know, they're the only Mystery Incorporated in this universe, not just the only good one. And, when you think about it, they always were."

Cassidy sighed, eyes closing. "Ricky... we're not made for this. Pretending, I mean. It'll drive us mad."

"_Right_."

"Hey, don't even go there,_ Mr. E_." She lightly shoved his shoulder.

"I won't if you won't, _Angel_." He shoved back.

They glared at each other a few moments, then Cassidy's gaze softened. "I've got everything I'll ever need. Good food, a big paycheck to _pay_ for the food, and a nice roof over my head. And what do I do with it? I complain." She slowly shook her head. "Man, I'm a piece of work, that's for sure."

Ricky didn't answer. He shrugged and rolled onto his side. "If it drives us crazy, then all the better. No one will believe us, then."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point." She conceded.

"I _know_ I've got a point."

Cassidy rolled onto her side, back-to-back with her 'husband.' "Goodnight, Ricky."

"Goodnight, Cassidy. Things will look up, eventually. Just give it time."

"When did you become such an optimist?"

"Around the time the universe reset itself. When did _you_ give up your hope?"

For once, Cassidy didn't have an answer.

* * *

The metal was dented and rusty, the spyglass handle broken off, the picture was gone, and the music didn't play anymore, but her old Mystery Incorporated locket had made the trip with her, and Cassidy wore it under her shirt, carefully tucked under the collar, at all times.

She didn't mind it in its current state. It was a bit of a fixer-upper; just like the original Mystery Incorporated. She liked the symbolism there.

"I still don't get why that came with you."

Cassidy shrugged. "I have a theory, but nothing concrete."

"And that theory is?"

"I was really attached to it, for one. It wasn't just a keepsake to me."

"Understandable, but not all that logical. If that were the case I'd have lugged all of Destroido in with me."

Cassidy hesitated. "And I was wearing it."

Ricky was quiet. "When you died?"

"Yeah. Had it in my boot."

"Risky move."

"But I couldn't bear_ not_ to have it with me. I think- I think a part of me _knew_, Ricky. It knew that would be my last adventure and wanted me to have my most precious possession with me." And wasn't it saying something when her most valued possession in her past life was only good for the money she'd receive having it melted down in_ this_ one?

"We never talked about it, you know."

"There's not much to say. I came, I saw, I died." And that's all there was to it. A quick end to a seriously long and drawn out life.

"Was it... Did Pericles...?"

"Yes and yes. But I went on my own terms."

Ricky gave her a twitch that resembled a smirk. "I'm sure that pissed Pericles off."

"Dunno. He'd escaped by then."

"He didn't even stick around to watch?"

"He was pressed for time, I'd guess. Didn't want to get caught up in the explosion."

"...I see."

"Don't give me that look, Ricky. I did what I had too."

"And you died as a result."

Cassidy shrugged. "I told you, Ricky. I'm not built for happy endings."

"What do you call all of this, then?"

Cassidy didn't speak for a long moment. "I'd call it karma. Karma, for doing such horrible things to those kids."

"You _protected_ them."

"Not by their standards. All their lives, all adults ever did was lie to 'em. Toss 'em aside and lie to their faces. Angel was the first adult they honestly thought they could trust, and look what I did to them."

"You couldn't control how things went down."

"I know, and I don't blame myself. Just... wish I could've been the adult they needed."

"You _were_ the adult they needed. It's part of the reason you got a second chance."

* * *

Cassidy stepped out of the car (she was driving) to see Ricky and Brad shaking each others hands as hard as physically possible, fake smiles plastered across their faces.

The rich and wealthy were supposed to be friends with the rich and wealthy. Cassidy understood that. But she'd rather have dinner with the Blake's in all their self-indulgent glory than the Reeves-Chiles; if only to give her peace of mind.

The Blake's were harmless. Judy and Brad weren't.

"Cassidy, it's so _good_ to see you." Judy chimes, stepping around the display of male dominance with a frown that quickly turned itself upwards.

"Same here, Judy." They stared at each other awkwardly, and Cassidy wonders if they're supposed to hug or something. But then disgust flashes in the other woman's eye, if only for the shortest of moments, and she knows her sentiments towards physical contact between them are returned full-force. Instead, Judy shrugged.

"We've got champagne."

"The good kind?"

"Is there any _other_ kind?"

"Good point."

Cassidy would've stayed home, mostly out of spite, but Ricky was coming and, depending on their memories and state of mind, he might need some backup should Judy and Brad toe out of line. She didn't doubt it was the same for them.

Doubt flickers across Ricky's features. Then, he shrugs. "I don't see why not. I'll drive."

"Well, alright, it you're sure..." She answered hesitantly, hovering where she stood just a second longer before walking up the driveway and into the mansion.

Cassidy pondered whether or not she should help, but decided against it and took a seat by the window. Judy returned a few moments later with two fancy glasses and a bottle champagne. She took the seat on the right of her and poured the glasses.

She lifted her glass in the air. "For prosperity?"

Cassidy lifted her own glass with a nod. "For prosperity."

She waited until Judy took a drink before taking the smallest of sips from her own glass. Cassidy wasn't much of a drinker in the first place, and she wouldn't put it past Judy to poison the alcohol.

Out the window she could watch Ricky and Brad play golf. Cassidy couldn't speak for Brad, but she knew Ricky thought the sport was as dry as the dirt it was played on. But, then again, Ricky wasn't much of a sports fan in the first place.

Judy set her glass down next to her, watching her out of the corner of her eye. "Cassidy?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you... Do you remember...?" She seemed lost for words.

Cassidy was silent for a long moment. "Remember Crystal Cove? Of course I do."

The answer, while vague, was plenty. Judy took another sip of alcohol and set the glass down with a light _thunk_, the sound echoing through the otherwise silent room. "...I see. I thought as much."

"If you thought as much then why did you ask?"

"I wanted to be sure."

"Huh." She grunted, leaving it at that.

"What all _do_ you remember?"

"Probably the same as you, give or take." Give dying and take almost seeing the world end.

"Ah. So, tell me the truth."

"About what?"

Judy took another sip from her glass, eyeing the scene outside. "Pericles hinted at it, but you're, well, you, so there was no real way to tell for sure..."

"If you're asking me if I really died or not, the answer is yes."

The woman's face scrunched up. "I see."

"You look disappointed."

"A part of me is. I wanted to be the one to kill you. You know, one of those dramatic final battle type of deals."

Cassidy's frown deepened. "I'm not sure if I should be insulted or complimented."

"Complimented. I hate you, Cassidy, but even I know you were almost impossible to kill. We'd all tried it at_ least_ once over the years, remember?"

Yes, she did remember. Cassidy contemplated swallowing down the glass of champagne lying mostly untouched by her side. It would inhibit her already weakened defense skills and leave her open to attack, not to mention she was an extremely _talkative_ drunk, but it_ would_ help her survive this conversation. And she might not even remember any of it later. Bonus.

"Alright, now you tell _me_ the truth, Judy." She said, swishing the liquid in her glass around in contemplation. "Why are you pretending to be somethin' you're not?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"You_ know_ why."

"Touche." She paused in consideration. "Honestly, I don't see why we shouldn't. There's no treasure to hunt, no mysteries to solve. We're rich and happy, with everything we could ask for and more. Pretending just so happens to be the most lucrative option."

"What about Freddy?"

"What about him? We both know he'll never return in person if he can help it. We're in the clear."

"And you wouldn't have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for those traveling kids."

"Your sense of humor isn't going to make me laugh, Cassidy."

"I wasn't expectin' it too. I was just pleasing myself."

"Hmmm..." A pause. "He died for you, you know."

"Who, Ricky?"

"_Yes_, Ricky. The moment he heard you were dead, he went on a rampage. He started questioning things, and we _both_ know how much Pericles hated to be questioned."

"I hardly see how that's _my_ fault."

"It's not." Judy shrugged. "Just putting the thought out there."

"Alright, I'll bite. Just what are you trying to say, Judy?"

Judy leaned back in her chair with a shrug. "I've been thinking, Cassidy."

"That's nothing out of the ordinary."

"It certainly _feels_ like it, though. My head is muddled and my memories are all mixed up." She paused. "Why_ do_ you think we kept our memories, Cassidy?"

It was a rhetorical question. Even still, Cassidy answered, if only to humor the woman. "I don't know, Judy. Why do_ you_ think we kept our memories?"

Judy's smile, unlike her voice, was smug. "I think it was our punishment."

"Huh?"

"Think about it. The conquistadors were punished for taking the sarcophagus from the Mayan's before they could destroy it. Now _we're_ being punished for trying to put Nibiru into motion."

Cassidy considered the idea. "Makes sense." She said eventually, nodding. "But there's something missing in that theory."

"Which is?"

"I was dead for most of that."

"Yeah, well, maybe that's what you're being punished for. Dying, I mean. Maybe whatever it was that let us keep our memories wanted you to stick around."

"I could see that. Don't know _why_, but it makes sense." Awkward silence. "And what about you? You and Brad lived the life of luxury _long_ before everything went down."

Cassidy caught movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned her head just in time to see Ricky's fist connect with Brad's jaw and Brad stumble back.

"What the-"

"Let them fight it out, Cassidy. Its been a long time coming."

Cassidy's shoulders bunched. Alright, so none of this was really unexpected, but she still wanted to be out there, fighting with fists rather than words. Ricky wasn't quite used to his body yet, and she was still more than capable of punching somebody's lights out. She could pick up the slack.

Judy, as though sensing her thoughts, said. "They cope their way, we cope ours. If Brad wants to give himself a concussion over nothing, that's fine with me. I won't try to stop him."

Cassidy was speechless. "Judy, I don't think I've _ever_ heard you talk like this before."

The blonde woman regarded her for a long moment. Cassidy's gaze didn't falter. Judy's did. "I... Of course you don't know. You were dead."

"Know what?"

Judy reclined in her chair with a sigh. "Cassidy, do you remember all those rumors about us in High School?"

"You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that." You name it, they'd done it. Or so spoke the holy High School grapevine.

"The rumors about Brad and I."

"Yeah, I do." They were carbon copies of the one's about her and Ricky. Cassidy bit her tongue.

"Looking back on them now, I think we only got together because of those rumors. It wasn't love. It wasn't even friendship. It was an ingrained need to bend to superficiality. I don't love Brad, and he doesn't love me. It was all about looks. We only figured it out after you were out of the picture."

Cassidy regarded the woman with a somber expression, chin supported by the palm of her hand. "Sounds like one heck of an epiphany."

"We have riches, we have more food than we could ever eat, and we even have jobs. But Brad and I..." Judy hesitated. "We'll never be truly happy. Not after realizing that about each other after pretending for so _long_."

"You could just get a divorce."

"That would draw media attention. So would moving out. No, just like you're stuck alive and Ricky's stuck in a completely different body type, Brad and I are stuck with each other. Like I said; we're all being punished."

Now Cassidy_ really_ wanted a drink. Judy finished hers with none of her self-restraint.

"This really just isn't the way things should've gone for us, is it?" Cassidy asked.

Judy stared at the bottom of her glass. It was all the answer Cassidy needed.

All things considered, Ricky didn't really look all that worse for wear when they finally got around to leave. A bruise on his jaw, more than a few probably hidden under his sweater sleeves, and a bit of dirt and grass ground into his black jeans. It was still better than Brad's black eye and ruined (and extremely expensive, no doubt) white jacket.

Brad exchanged one last strangle-hold handshake with Ricky, a less painful but still filled with intent one with her, and Judy and Cassidy just looked at each other. There wasn't anything anyone could say.

Even though Cassidy had barely had a drop of champagne, she still let Ricky drive them home without complaint, if only to be safe.

"Cassidy."

"Yeah?"

"We really aren't made for happy endings, are we?"

Cassidy blinked at him, then turned to stare ahead.

"I don't see what's so happy about this ending, Ricky."

**Author's Note: I'm on a bit of a Scooby Doo kick, if you haven't noticed. =) (again)**

**Not much to really say here. It's my first time writing a fic set completely after the universe split? That could be interesting. I've had bits and pieces, sure, but this is my first head-on go at things.**

**So... review, please?**

**No flames! Don't like don't read! Review**!


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